real MPG

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May 3, 2009 | 08:53 PM

tomfrey

Thread Starter

Junior User

Joined: Sep 2004

Posts: 87

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From: NorCal

real MPG

I just took my first RV trip of the season. When I get to various parks I like to ask fellow diesel owners what kind of mileage they get. The usual answer is "oh, about 14 or so". It usually a truck very similar to mine and the guy is pulling a bigger trailer. On that trip my best tank was 11.2, the worst 8.6. My gps confirms that my speedo is pretty accurate, and I check the mileage with a calculator. My trip was on a mostly flat freeway, but the return ride was very windy. Mt sct tuner was on the tow mode. Not pulling the trailer, I get 14.5-15 city/fwy combined with the sct on Ag Street. While on the trip I took a trip without the trailer and left the tuner on tow mode and got 17.1 for a 160 mi mostly freeway trip. Is this mileage typical ? My truck info listed below...

May 3, 2009 | 09:01 PM

strokin83

Senior User

Joined: Oct 2008

Posts: 437

Likes: 1

From: Bucyrus, KS

Yea that's pretty common. It's pretty hard to do much better when pushing a 8000 truck into the wind. I pull a 5000 lb trailer with a rampgate mostly highway and I usually get 11-12. If I'm driving into a heaving wind sometimes 8-9. It's still better than the dodge I used a few trips. It got 10 pulling the same load.

May 3, 2009 | 09:03 PM

ljutic ss

Posting Guru

Joined: Apr 2008

Posts: 2,392

Likes: 1

From: Green Lane, Pa.

Since the weather changed I have been getting between 16.5-18.4 I filled up last thurs. and averaged 18.4 1/2 country 1/2 highway never going over 65 this is running empty.

May 3, 2009 | 09:15 PM

UGA33

Lead Driver

Joined: Sep 2006

Posts: 5,663

Likes: 162

From: Cartersville, Ga

You sound about right. I am anywhere from 10-12mpg's towing 10-15k.

May 3, 2009 | 09:56 PM

albran

Senior User

Joined: Apr 2006

Posts: 264

Likes: 0

From: Texas

Sounds pretty good with a cat back and 33's.
I get between 9 and 12 depends on wind, hills and speed pulling our 33' 5th.

That 14 MPG sounds like you've been camping next to my brother-in-law, every THING is BIGGER and BETTER

.

ab

May 4, 2009 | 03:50 AM

tomfrey

Thread Starter

Junior User

Joined: Sep 2004

Posts: 87

Likes: 0

From: NorCal

Thanks for the reply's. Just today I was reading Diesel Power and a guy claimed 24 mpg for a 05 psd. Granted it was a 2wd with a manual tranny, but I still dont believe it.

May 4, 2009 | 09:35 AM

6speedSD

Freshman User

Joined: Apr 2009

Posts: 27

Likes: 0

From: Southaven,MS

I'm averaging about 17 in my 2004 6.0 with 6 speed manual, 4x4. I've gotten as high at 18.5, and as low as 16 towing my 16ft trailer.

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May 4, 2009 | 10:07 AM

spence13e

More Turbo

Joined: Feb 2007

Posts: 713

Likes: 0

From: KS

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomfrey

Thanks for the reply's. Just today I was reading Diesel Power and a guy claimed 24 mpg for a 05 psd. Granted it was a 2wd with a manual tranny, but I still dont believe it.

realize, this is NOT the norm, but when i drove from KS to NY last summer, i AVERAGED right around 21 the entire trip. individual fills went from one in the mid 18's to just over 22, but 21 was the average. normal empty highway driving was getting me 18 to 20 in the warmer months, and 17 or so in winter. my spreadsheet tells me that over 31k of miles i have recorded, my average has been 17.37, that's highway, city, towing, everything. i won't complain any.

one thing that has helped in the last year+ is the fact that i started running additives. used diesel kleen last summer/fall (that's what helped the 21mpg average out a bit), and switched to mixing the summer/winter blend motorcraft stuff over the winter. back on DK now.